While the early stages of the regular season can still be used to experiment and iron out creases, wins and losses start to matter today. 

The NBA season tips off Tuesday, with the Golden State Warriors traveling to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers in their curtain-raiser Wednesday night. 

After missing the playoffs last year—the second time in the last three—let's rank the 18-man roster the Warriors are rolling into what they hope will be a bounce-back campaign, by position group. 

Flatly, any group that includes four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP Steph Curry will be the best on the team, even if he is 38 and entering his 18th season in the league. 

Warriors fans are restless because the front office hasn't added more quality around Curry in recent years. The reason is that Curry is still playing at an All-Star level, and Golden State seems to be taking it for granted. 

Four years after winning the 2022 title, the Warriors have failed to advance past the play-ins twice and were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals in the other two campaigns. 

At 37, Curry still averaged 26.6 points last term despite playing just 43 games. However, durability isn't the problem here. He played in 74 games in 2023-24 and 70 in 2024-25. But the Warriors haven't done much about it. 

On paper, Golden State enters the new season with thin guard depth in terms of proven quality. The Warriors will be hoping Brandin Podziemski—Curry's backcourt running mate—takes a leap in his fourth year. 

Being without Moses Moody, who is recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon, until the turn of the calendar is a blow. 

Newcomer Brandon Williams has the potential to be a solid backup point guard. Gary Payton II and De'Anthony Melton are who they are. Will Richard and LJ Cryer have room to grow and exceed expectations. 

But overall, this group needs Curry to carry the load. Without him, the Warriors' season outlook is bleak. 

Curry hurt his ankle during an open practice last week, forcing him to limp to the locker room. However, head coach Steve Kerr says it's not serious and expects his franchise cornerstone to play Wednesday. 

If Jimmy Butler were available before the start of the next calendar year, this unit might've been the best on the team. However, after tearing his ACL last year, he will be watching from the sidelines as the Warriors try to stay afloat until he gets healthy. 

Still, No. 11 overall pick in this year's Draft, Yaxel Lendeborg's potential makes the starting frontcourt—at least—really solid. 

Lendeborg shone during Summer League, winning MVP while leading the Warriors to the championship, and carried that momentum into the preseason. Now facing real NBA competition, he continues to look dominant. 

It's important that the Warriors don't put too much on his shoulders too soon. However, Lendeborg's shoulders aren't those of your typical rookie. At 6-foot-9 and 241 pounds, the 24-year-old is bigger and significantly better than most. He also brings national championship experience from college. 

The regular season, when all the chips are on the table, will tell all, but he figures to be a crucial part of the Warriors' setup from the get-go. 

Lendeborg's physical presence should help 15-year veteran Draymond Green defensively and ease pressure on his offensive production. 

Gui Santos improving on his 9.2 points per game from 2025-26 would be welcome. The Warriors will hope the 6-foot-7 wing can make an impact on both ends, but especially in shooting. 

At this point, newcomer Georges Niang — coming off a season-long injury layoff — is an unknown quantity, and Malevy Leons earning any meaningful minutes would be a pleasant surprise. The latter does have some upside with his rebounding and cutting ability. 

The Warriors' center issues date back to when prime Kevon Looney (6-foot-9) was in town. 

Looney shouldn't have been as impactful at his size, but he gave Golden State 10 terrific years and contributed to three championships. 

Beyond that, the Warriors have refused to address the gaping hole—outside of selecting 7-footer James Wiseman second overall in 2020. Once that gamble didn't pay off, the franchise seemed to give up trying. 

At 6-foot-10, Charles Bassey could be a Looney-type stopgap for the Warriors while they wait for Kristaps Porzingis to return from an undisclosed health problem. However, even then, the Latvian big man doesn't have a great track record of availability in his 10-year career. 

Al Horford is 40 and still very reliable, but his minutes need careful management now. He's also listed at 6-foot-8. 

Undrafted Graham Ike has a ton of upside and could find opportunities to stake a claim to a starting job, even if the Warriors begin the season playing small. However, he is 6-foot-9. 

Put plainly, the Warriors entering another season without a recognized big-bodied center could be a recipe for disaster.